Switch-stand and connection therefor.



PATBNTED DEC. 25, 19-06.

H. C. ODENKIRK. SWITCH STAND-AND CONNECTION THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, 1906.

INVENTOR,

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WITNESSES:

HARRY O. ODENKIRK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SWITCH-STAND AND CONNECTION THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed October 15, 1-906. Serial No. 338.928..

To u/ZZ whom it may concern:

slide-bar crossarm. Fig. 4 is a side eleva- Be it known that I, HARRY C. ODENKIRK, l tion of a modified form of breakable conneca c1t1zen of the United States, residing at l tion for use in my form of switch-stand, and Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and l F 5 is a plan view thereof.

State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch-Stands and Connections Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

My invention relates to switch-stands for use in railways and to the connections between said stand and the switch-point rails, said invention being an improvement on the switch-stands shown in my Patents Nos. 628,281 and 628,282, granted to me July 1, 1899.

Owing to the fact that trains occasionally trail through a switch when the same is locked in a closed position, which always results in breaking or springing some of the parts of the switch, its connections, or the rails, it is desirable to provide at some point in the switch or connections a yielding part which will permit the switch-point rails to be thrown when the switch is locked shut without doing serious injury to the stand or connections. This has been accomplished by placing a spring at some point in the stand or in the connections between the stand and the rails, which spring is adapted to yield to permit the movement of the rails. It has also been accomplished by placing an easilybreakable piece in the stand or connections, so that when the train trails through the switch this part will be broken; but such part is always capable of easy removal in order that a duplicate of such part can be substituted and the connections thus be restored to their normal condition.

My invention relates more particularly to the last form of device referred to, the same I being applied to the form of switch-stand shown in the abovementioned patents.

Referring now to the drawings, which form a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Odenkirk switch-stand having my present invention applied thereto, parts of the casing being broken away, so as to show the mechanism on the interior thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the slide-bar crossarm, having a portion of the slide-bar and also a portion of the connecting-rod attached thereto, said connecting-rod being secured at its opposite end to the main tie-rod of the switclnrails. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the Referring now to the drawings for a more complete description of my invention, 1. shows the casing of the switch-stand, a portion of the same being broken away, so as to disclose the cam member 2 therein. This cam member is capable of being rotated through an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, said rotation being efi'ected by turning the lever 3, which is connected to the shaft upon which the said member is mounted. The cam member is provided with a spiral groove 4, within which projects a roller 5 on the end of the slide-bar 6, the construction being such that when the lever 3 is turned the slide-bar will be moved longitudinally in a direction depending upon the direction of the motion of the lever.

As is shown more particularly in my Pat ent N 0. 628,282, the switch point rails, one of which is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings at 7, are connected by the main tie-rod, (shown herein at 8,) and said main tie-rod is joined to the end of the connecting-rod, said connecting-rod being shown at 9 in the drawings of this application. In said patent, however, the connecting-rod is joined directly to the end of the slide-bar 6. With this construction the switch-rails will be thrown upon the movement of the lever 3; but if said lever should be locked in position with the switch closed and a train were to trail through the switch some parts of the mechanism would be sprung or broken, which would throw the entire switch out of operation until the injured parts could be repaired or others substituted. In order that any damage which thus occurs may be confined to some part which is easily repaired and which can be cheaply produced, I secure to the outer end of the slide-bar 6 the cross-arn1 7 which is shown in Figs. 2 and 8. This cross-arm consists of the eyepieces 10 and 11 and the central portion 12, said portion having a squared opening into which the end of the slide-bar projects and fits. The cross-arm is secured to the slide-bar by means of a bolt 13, that passes through a hole in the end of the slidebar and through a corresponding hole in the portion 12 of the slide-bar cross-arm. The holes in the eyepieces 10 and 11 and the hole in the end of the slide-bar are arranged on the arc of a circle that is drawn through said holes with the pivot-point of the connectingrod and tie-rod as a center, said tie-rod and slide-bar being in substantially the same line. The arms connecting the eyepieces 10 and 11 with the central portion 12 of the slide-bar cross-arm are weakened, so that they will break more easily than any other part of the stand or connections used. With this con struction when either of the said arms is broken it is only necessary to unbolt the end of the connecting-rod 9 from the broken arm and swing the connecting-rod over to the opposite arm, to which it may be readily attached. If, then, the latter arm should also be broken, the cross-arm can be removed altogether, when the connecting-rod 9 may be attached directly to the end of the slidebar 6, under which circumstances the switchstand will be substantially the same as that shown in my prior patents referred to. By arranging the different points of connection for the connecting-rod in the arc of a circle I am enabled to attach said rod at either of said points without removing or changing the position of the slide-bar cross-arm or without disturbing any of the parts of the stand or connections except the'connectingrod. It will, of course, be understood that after the arms carrying the eyepieoes 10 and 11 are both broken it is preferable to supply a new cross-arm; but if such part is not at hand ready to be substituted the connectingrod can be attached directly to the end of the slide-bar until a new cross-arm can be secured.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a form of breakable connection in which the slide-bar 6 is joined to the connecting-rod 9 by means of an angular or V-shaped member 14, said member being bifurcated at 15, so as to pass on the opposite sides of the end of the slidebar, to which it is secured by a bolt 16. At the opposite end the member projects between the bifurcated ends of the connectingrod, to which it is connected by another bolt 17. This member is weakest at the point 18, and when the switch is run through by a train the said member will break at this point without doing injury to any of the remaining parts of the switch-stand or connections. When thus broken, the switch is thrown entirely out of use until a new member can be substituted therefor.

' I claim- 1. In a switch-stand, a cam member, a slide-bar that is moved longitudinally by said member, a tie-rod for the switch-rails that is substantially in line with the said slide-bar, a connecting-rod joining the said tie-rod and slide-bar, and a breakable connection between said slide-bar and connecting-rod.

2. In a switch-stand, a cam member, a slide-bar that is moved longitudinally by said member, a tie-rod for the switch-rails that is substantially in line with the said slide-bar, a connecting-rod joining the said tie-rod and slide-bar, and a connection between said slide-bar and connecting-rod, said connection having a plurality of weakened or breakable parts to which the end of the connecting-rod may be attached.

3. In a switch-stand, a cam member, a spiral groove in said member, means for turning said member, a slide-bar having a part projecting into the groove of said member, whereby, when the member is turned, the said slide-bar will be moved longitudinally, a tie-rod for the switch-rails substantially in line with said slide-bar, a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the said tie-rod, and an easily-breakable connection between the slide-bar and connecting-rod 4. In a switch-stand, a cam member, a spiral groove in said member, means for turning said member, a slide-bar having a part projecting into the groove of said member, whereby, when the member is turned, the

said slide-bar will be moved longitudinally, a

rod being substantially in line with the slide-i 00 bar, a connecting-rod joined at one end to the end of the tie-rod, and a cross-arm secured to the end of the slide-bar, said cross-arm having a plurality of points of attachment for the connecting-rod, so that when one part of the cross-arm is broken, the connecting-rod may be swung about its pivot and connected at another point on said cross-arm without changing the adjustment of the mechanism of the switch-stand.

6. In a switch-stand, a cam member, a bar that is movable longitudinally by said member, a tie-rod for the switch-point rails, said rod being substantially in line with the slidebar, a connecting-rod joined at one end to the end of the tie-rod, and a cross-arm secured to the end of the slide-bar, said cross-arm having a plurality of weakened arms with points of attachment for the connecting-rod, so that when 'one arm of the cross-arm is broken, the connecting-rod maybe swung about its pivot and connected to another arm on said cross arm without changing the adjustment of the mechanism of the switch-stand.

7. In a railway-switch stand, a cam member having a spiral groove, means for turning said member, a slide-bar having a part operating in said groove, whereby when the member is turned the slide-bar will be moved longitudinally, a tie-rod for the switch-point rails, said tie-rod being substantially in line with the slidebar, a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the tie-rod, a cross-arm attached to the end of the slide-bar, said crossarm having a pair of laterally-extending weakened arms with eyepieces, the said eyepieces and the point of attachment of the cross-arm being in the arc of the circle with the pivot of the connecting-rod and tie-rod as a center, so that when either of the weakened arms on the cross-arm is broken, the connecting-rod may be swung to the other arm, or if both arms be broken, the rod may be attached directly to the slide-bar.

S. In arailway-switch stand, a cam mem ber having a spiral groove, a lever for turning said member, a slide-bar having a part oper ating in said groove, whereby when the member is turned the slidebar will be moved longitudinally, a tier0d for the switch-point rails, said tie-rod being substantially in line with the slidebar, a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the tierod, a cross-arm having a squared groove into which the end of the slide-bar projects for attachment, said crossarm having a pair of laterally-extending weakened arms with eyepieces, the said eyepieces and the point of attachment of the cross-arm being in the arc of the circle with the pivot of the connecting-rod and tie-rod as a center, so that when either of the weakened arms on the cross-arm is broken, the connecting-rod may be swung to the other arm, or if both arms be broken, the rod may be attached directlyto the slide-bar.

9. In a switch-stand and connections, a

longitudinally-movable slide-bar, means for moving said bar, connections between said bar and the switch-point rails, said connections including a V-shaped member, said member being weakened at the apex of the V so as to break under excessive strain without doing injury to the remaining parts of the stand and connections.

10. In a switch-stand and connections, a cam member, a spiral groove in said member, means for turning said member, aslide-bar having a part projecting into said groove, whereby, when the member is turned, the slide-bar will be moved longitudinally, a tierod for the switch-rails, a connecting-rod attached to the tie-rod, and a member connecting the connecting-rod and the slidebar, said member having a Vshaped portion that is weakened at the apex of the V so as to break under excessive strain without doing injury to the remaining parts of the stand and connectlons.

11. In a switch-stand, a longitudinallymovable slide-bar and means for moving the same, a tie-rod for the switch-rails that is substantially in line with the said slide-bar, a connecting-rod joining the said tie-rod and slidebar, and a breakable connection between the said slide-bar and connecting-rod.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence'of two witnesses.

HARRY C. ODENKIRK.

l/Vitnesses:

S. E. Fours, G. A. MYERs. 

